FRANKFURT, June 27 (Reuters) - The Russian government called on Germany to let holding company Sistema take a 29 percent stake in German chipmaker Infineon, a German newspaper reported on Sunday, citing no sources.
According to Financial Times Deutschland, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin both insisted on such plans in talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who assured that she would help to make talks possible.
German government sources told Reuters that Merkel had only made positive statements about a cooperation between Germany and Russia in that sector, but that the government had taken no steps in mediating talks.
The German government had no immediate comment, while an Infineon spokesman said that there were currently no talks being held.
A Kremlin spokesman said he was not immediately able to comment on the report and a Sistema official said no one would be available to comment before Monday.
News about Russia's interest in Infineon is not new. In December 2009, Sistema's president said the company was in talks over becoming a partner in the Russian state's possible acquisition of a stake in Infineon.
Medvedev said last summer the state was considering an investment in Infineon.
($1=.7453 Euro)
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Joern Poltz; additional reporting by Gernot Heller in Berlin and Conor Humphries in Moscow; Editing by Maureen Bavdek) Keywords: INFINEON/RUSSIA (christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1269; Reuters Messaging: christoph.steitz.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
According to Financial Times Deutschland, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin both insisted on such plans in talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who assured that she would help to make talks possible.
German government sources told Reuters that Merkel had only made positive statements about a cooperation between Germany and Russia in that sector, but that the government had taken no steps in mediating talks.
The German government had no immediate comment, while an Infineon spokesman said that there were currently no talks being held.
A Kremlin spokesman said he was not immediately able to comment on the report and a Sistema official said no one would be available to comment before Monday.
News about Russia's interest in Infineon is not new. In December 2009, Sistema's president said the company was in talks over becoming a partner in the Russian state's possible acquisition of a stake in Infineon.
Medvedev said last summer the state was considering an investment in Infineon.
($1=.7453 Euro)
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Joern Poltz; additional reporting by Gernot Heller in Berlin and Conor Humphries in Moscow; Editing by Maureen Bavdek) Keywords: INFINEON/RUSSIA (christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1269; Reuters Messaging: christoph.steitz.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.